LA Times: When the Republican presidential hopefuls gather to debate Wednesday night in Simi Valley, one thing seems certain: Lavish tribute will be paid to Ronald Reagan …. but the Reagan reverie will doubtless overlook much of the Reagan reality.

As president, the conservative icon approved several tax increases to deal with a soaring budget deficit, repeatedly boosted the nation’s debt limit, signed into law a bill granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants and, despite his anti-Washington rhetoric, oversaw an increase in the size and spending of the federal government. Before that, as California governor, he enacted what at the time was the largest state tax increase in American history. He also signed into law one of the nation’s most permissive abortion bills; any Republican who tried that today would be cast out of the party.

….. one of the greatest heresies of all: At bottom, Reagan was a pragmatist, willing, when necessary, to cut a deal and compromise …. Stuart Spencer, a GOP strategist who stood by Reagan’s side for virtually his entire political career, dismissed the current vogue of Reagan revisionism: “A lot of those people running out there don’t really understand what he did…..”

… It is hard to imagine a governor with Reagan’s record on taxes and abortion faring very well in today’s GOP nominating fight…..

Steve Benen: …. it’s tough to beat the fact that today’s Republicans would have perceived Reagan, their hero, as a sell-out RINO …. On the one hand, Republicans have a religious-like reverence for “Ronaldus Magnus”; on the other, they have no use for his approach to governance … What should Republicans take away from the fact that, by 2011 standards, their party would dismiss their demigod as a tax-raising, amnesty-loving, pro-bailout, cut-and-run, big-government Democrat?

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8 Responses to “‘ronaldus magnus’”

It would be a great question to ask during the debate “Ronald Reagan raised taxes x amount of times and the tax rate was x% during his Presidency. Do you believe Ronald Reagan could be win a Republican Primary today?” And “Given that tax rates are the lowest in 50 years and the economy is the worst it has been in 50 years – How can you keep asking for more tax cuts?”

The current GOP candidates crop and the current GOP party crop have no clue who the real Reagan was. They make up mythical crap about Saint Ronnie. If he were alive today, they’d dump him like a sack of hot potatoes and label him a traitor to their party.

The present Republican party has its roots deep in Reagan’s philosophy. We lived in California when he was governor. One of his first targets was education. He vowed to “destroy” public education. He didn’t….but, he started to take apart the absolutely marvelous public education system California had. In California at that time, people could get a free education up to the sophomore year in college. California was so prosperous and advanced, this was no strain on the state’s finances. Education was considered an investment, not a cost. He called it a cost, and it has yet to recover from his time in office. I went to public school in San Francisco in the early 50s, and taught near Los Angeles in the early 60s. The education system was absolutely superb. Teachers were respected, people fought to get into California’s excellent public universities…people from all over the world. His poison is still working, and now has permeated those who are not Republicans.
I firmly believe that the public school is the bedrock of American democracy. In those schools people of all races, ethnic groups, economic strata…etc, have to be together. Now, with the divided school systems and charter and private schools, people go to school with only their own type. My schools in California were a glorious mix of all races and all religions. Everything wasn’t perfect, but California was way ahead in assimilation and education before Reagan. I am so thankful for those public school experiences in California!